


Saving Him

by RuvikKin



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Joseb - Freeform, M/M, Mind Control, Oh yeah theres pictures included, Plot Twists, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, but they have something to do with the story not just, damn it, haha here we go, haha sorry about chapter 3 but, hopefully each chapter, look at these babies, mentions of other character, oh well it is suffer time, random shit, we really needed PL OT, why arent they happy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-05-29 02:35:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6355429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuvikKin/pseuds/RuvikKin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian was without Joseph for a month before his partner showed up again at KCPD. Now he’s back but something is wrong, he won’t speak anymore. Sebastian has to get Joseph to open up again to find out what happened to him, and each time he tries, Joseph can't tell him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coming Home

Sebastian sat in his office alone, smoking a cigarette as he worked on his report. How many times was he going to have to write this shit down? He got out, away from Ruvik, and turned his report in. Of course the chief told him something didn’t add up, he went in passed out and woke up? It didn’t seem right, so he had to add more detail. _You’re insane, you expect me to believe this is what you went through?_ Sebastian had grit his teeth and for the third week in a row, relived the events of STEM in his head, picking out what was insane and what wasn’t.

Usually Sebastian would look to Joseph for help with his reports but Joseph was the reason he had go fill it out. His partner was missing, probably taken away by the people who hooked them up to the god damn machine. Kidman was gone too, but at the moment if she showed up Sebastian would probably kill her. _Probably._

“Fuck this.” Sebastian  threw his pen down, leaning back in his chair and finishing his cigarette. He put it out in the ash tray, overflowing with cigarette butts that needed to be thrown away. “If he doesn’t believe me then fine.” Sebastian grabbed his cigarette pack again to light another when an officer walked in. “You ass.” Sebastian said to him, standing up. “Forget how to knock?”

“This is important.” Sebastian crossed his arms and scowled. _Nothing_ was ever important.

“Someone better be dead or I’m going to kick-“

“Josephs back.” Sebastian tensed. It was a prank right? “He’s in the lobby, and I swear I’m not lying.”

“If you are lying, you better get ready to feel a foot up your ass.” Sebastian shoved past the cop and raced to the lobby, with the cop following him.

“Sebastian you should know he’s-“

“Not right, I know. He’s like me.”

“No that’s not-“ Sebastian glared at the man and shut him up. He rolled his eyes and pushed open the lobby doors, and there he was.

“Joseph.” The younger man looked up at him and smiled, standing up. Sebastian walked over to him, looking him up and down. He looked bruised, thin, and pale. Sickly over all, his hair was matted a little and his eyes bad a pain in them. Sebastian noticed Joseph had a few cuts on his jaw and a small stubble of a beard was coming in. He was wearing a pair of ripped up sweat pants and a dirty (bloody) white T-shirt. “It’s you.” Joseph nodded and looked at the ground. “Holy shit… Where have you been? What happened?” Joseph didn’t say anything, and kept looking at the ground. “Never mind. You’re back, you’re alive….” Sebastian took a step forwards and Joseph stepped back. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Joseph!” The chief walked over and got close to Joseph, Sebastian could see how uncomfortable it was and it angered him. “Welcome back! We’ve needed you back here again.”

“Chief.” Sebastian grumbled angrily.

“Your partners been saying crazy things lately, I’m sure a trip down to my office would-“ The chief went to put his hand on Josephs shoulder but Sebastian grabbed his wrist. “Detective. You let me go.”

“Don’t touch him. He’s not ready to work yet…” Sebastian let go of his wrist then reached out and grabbed Joseph’s hand softly. Joseph locked their fingers together and moved to hide behind Sebastian. Sebastian looked at him and raised his eyebrow, the way he was acting reminded him of Leslie almost, quiet and to himself, hiding behind Sebastian to stay protected. It was making Sebastian a little worried. “I’m taking him home, and taking the rest of the day off… Tomorrow too.”

“You won’t get paid for the rest of the day.”

“Fuck getting paid.” Sebastian began leading Joseph out of KCPD. “My half finished report is on the desk. Have fun reading it over.” Sebastian left KCPD with Joseph, leading him carefully to the car.

``````````

Joseph said nothing the whole car ride, instead he stared out the window and didn’t look at Sebastian. Instead of trying to get him to talk, Sebastian talked to him about what he’d been doing and his job, how he’d been holding up and what he was doing to look for Joseph. But he made the horrible mistake of asking:

“Where’s Kidman? Was she with you?” As soon as Sebastian mentioned Kidman Joseph began screaming. He gripped onto his seat, and Sebastian slammed on his breaks and leaned over to comfort Joseph. He grabbed the younger man and pulled him into a hug, carefully holding him and stroking his hair. “Sh sh. It’s okay.” Sebastian soothed his partner so his screaming turned into small whimpers instead. “I’m sorry I asked that, it was a stupid thing… I shouldn’t…” Sebastian sighed and held Joseph while he trembled. “I won’t bring the bitch up again.” _What the fuck did she do? Whatever it was she’s fucking dead when I see her next._ Sebastian let Joseph go but felt him tense when he did so. “Its okay, I’m right here. Let’s get home, get you a bath and some food. What do you want first?” Joseph blinked and ran his fingers through his hair, cringing. “Bath. Got it.” Sebastian kept driving and Joseph went back to staring out the window, only now he was gripping his seat and trembling.

 _What the fuck did he go through? Why isn’t he talking to me?_ It was frustrating, but Sebastian figured he should give Joseph his time. Better to let the boy recover from whatever happened to him than force him to talk. “Whenever you feel like talking, you can.” Joseph barely smiled at the comment, and instead hung his head to play with some dirt under his nails.

The rest of the ride was uneventful, Sebastian parked the car in his driveway and got out, he helped Joseph out and led him inside and straight to the bathroom on the first floor. “You can start the bath right? I’ll go get you an extra set of clothes.” Joseph nodded and turned away from Sebastian, taking his shirt off as he did so. Sebastian watched him and tensed up, looking at the bruises and scars across his body. “Joseph?” Joseph looked at him with a worried expression on his face. “Never mind, I’ll be back.” Joseph started the bath as Sebastian left, it’s a good thing he remembered how Sebastian’s tub worked or else he’d probably start panicking.

Joseph stripped his pants and underwear off, discarding them and then stepping into the tub, the warm water hit his body and he smiled, sitting down and rubbing the warm water on his chest and arms. It felt so _good_ taking a bath again after so long. It seemed weird to think after being connected to STEM on and off all he’d done was sit in a tub but this was different. The tubs connected to the machine were cold, filled with an unidentifiable liquid that soaked through his clothes and chilled him to the bone. Moreover, while in STEM he was never himself, he was always something different, something unidentifiable.

“Okay.” Joseph jolted out of thought and looked at Sebastian, startled by his presence but glad to see a familiar face again. “So they’ll probably be a bit big on you but I got you a pair of pajama pants I used to wear and I brought you a t shirt and a tank top. You can pick whichever one you want.” Sebastian set the clothes down and looked at Joseph, putting his hands in his pockets and letting out a sigh. “I’m glad to have you back Joseph.” Joseph held his hand up and did the ‘come here’ sign to Sebastian, which made him walk over and sit by the tub. “What?” Joseph dipped his hand in the water then lifted it out, splashing Sebastian in the face with a few droplets. “Glad to see you’ve still got your sense of humor.”

Joseph nodded slowly, and ran his hands through his hair, Sebastian watching carefully as he could see clumps of hair and dirt come out on his fingers. “Hang on.” Sebastian stood up and opened his cabinet above the sink, grabbing a comb and hairbrush then handing them to Joseph. “Use those.” Joseph nodded and began brushing his hair out, and of course, he slicked it back as he always did. Of course it seemed longer now than it was when Sebastian last saw him, a haircut would be needed sooner or later. Sebastian let out a sigh and sat down again, keeping his eye on his partner as he bathed himself and smiled about nothing in particular.

```````````

“I think you should take it slow with the eating, how much did you usually eat?” Joseph shrugged, barely noticeable, as Sebastian was making him something to eat. Joseph was pacing around Sebastian’s kitchen, flinching at loud noises Sebastian made as he cooked. “Can you talk? Did something happen to your vocal cords?” Joseph stopped cold and rubbed his arm, he looked at Sebastian and tensed up. “Never mind, forget it. You don’t want to talk you don’t have to. I just want to know how the hell I’m going to talk to you.” Joseph frowned and made a motion in the air, something Sebastian recognized as writing. “You can write but you won’t speak?” Joseph let out a whine and Sebastian groaned. “Fine, fine. I’ll be back. Still though, take it easy on the food.” Sebastian walked away, mumbling to himself about something that Joseph didn’t catch.

Sebastian returned with a notepad and a pen moments later, setting them down for Joseph to use. “I have a lot of questions for you, but I don’t want you to feel you need to answer. So how about this, if you don’t want to answer then ignore me. Okay?” Joseph didn’t answer and instead grabbed the paper and pen. Sebastian raised an eyebrow as Joseph sat on the floor and began scribbling on the paper, twirling the pen across the paper and sometimes making sharp edges. “Alright then.”

Sebastian finished up making the food for Joseph, letting the guy continue to draw what he wanted. Joseph sat up on his knees and leaned back, sighing as his back cracked. “You sound like me in the morning.” Sebastian looked for any emotion from Joseph but was met with those same sad eyes. “Foods done. How’d the drawing go?” Joseph stood and handed Sebastian the paper, then took the food and sat back down on the ground, eating it as if he hadn’t eaten in years. Sebastian watched him a moment then shrugged it off and looked at his drawing.

He frowned, looking the drawing over and over again so he could make sense of it. It was disturbing, the obvious marks made as Joseph moved his hand across the paper which smudged it didn’t help. Sebastian bit his lip and looked down at Joseph, worried. “Joseph what’s this?” Joseph moved his finger in a circular motion and Sebastian flipped the paper. M-O-B-I-U-S. The only word written on the back and Sebastian shuddered. “What did Mobius do?” Joseph set the plate of food down and shook his head, curling up and shaking. “Shit. Never mind.” Sebastian looked at the plate of food and picked it up. Joseph didn’t look at him as he did so. “I think you could use some sleep.”

``````````

The way Joseph had curled up in the blankets, gripping onto them tightly and smiling before he fell asleep almost instantly gave Sebastian a good idea on how much was taken from him by MOBIUS. Sebastian sat on the edge of the bed, watching Joseph sleeping peacefully. He sighed, standing up and flicking the light off. He stalled a moment to see if Joseph would react and when he didn’t Sebastian left the room and went to his own.

He laid down on his bed, sighing and thinking about the entire day. He got his partner back but yelled at the chief and took the entire day off tomorrow for Joseph’s sake. Joseph was obviously fucked up, the picture was stuck in his mind and he couldn’t believe Joseph would draw something like that. Sebastian sat up and stripped his shirt off, tossing it onto the floor. He was going to take his pants off too but exhaustion was setting in. “Change tomorrow.” Sebastian rolled over in bed, falling asleep instantly.

```````

The thunder outside cracked in the air, making Joseph wake up immediately. He gripped the blankets and heard another loud bang outside. Joseph covered his ears and closed his eyes, rocking a little bit. The thunder reminded him of the bangs of the machines, the banging of people pounding on doors, the agents loud footsteps, the clanging of his door being kicked open. Then he heard screaming, loud screaming that echoed in his room. It took him a good minute to find out it was him screaming, not another person.

“Joseph!” Sebastian rushed into his room, flicking the light on when he came in. He went over to the bed and put his hands on Josephs shoulders. “Sh, sh it’s okay.” Sebastian ran his fingers through Joseph’s hair and made soft hushing noises until Joseph stopped screaming and began whimpering. “Its alright. You’re safe.” Joseph trembled, hugging himself tightly and nodding. Sebastian pulled him close, sitting again on the edge of the bed. “The thunder gets loud here sometimes doesn’t it?” Joseph didn’t respond. “Scared me too when I got out…” Joseph put his hand on Sebastians arm, gripping it tightly. “Want me to stay until the storms passed?” Sebastian felt Joseph’s head move in a nod against his chest and he shifted, pulling his legs up on the bed. “Lay back down.” Joseph hesitated and then laid down, curling up under the blankets.

Sebastian laid beside him, reaching out and holding his hand in a comforting way. As the thunder struck outside, the two of them laid together in silence, only listening to each other fall asleep.

`````````

Joseph woke up first Sebastians hand still holding his. Joseph looked at Sebastian and rolled over to face his partner. It had been only three weeks since seeing Sebastian, but it felt like years to him. Joseph reached over and stroked the stubble on Sebastians jaw, longer than when he last saw him. Joseph opened his mouth to say something, but an image and a voice flashed in his head.

 _“Don’t you DARE speak unless you want your tongue removed.”_ Joseph closed his mouth and instead decided to poke Sebastian a few times until he woke up.

“Huh? Joseph?” Sebastian sat up and rubbed his eyes groggily, he then looked to Joseph and snapped awake. “Joseph! You’re here! Holy shit!” Joseph rubbed his legs together and nodded. “Holy fuck I thought it was a dream. Holy shit…” Sebastian pushed his messy hair back and smiled. “I can’t… Believe it wasn’t a dream.”

 _I’m here Sebastian._ Joseph sat up and reached out, hugging Sebastian gently.

“Ah that’s right, there was the storm… I still thought that was a dream…” Sebastian ruffled Joseph’s hair, getting a glare from him in return. “You never let me touch your hair, just give me a second.” Joseph pulled his head away, shaking his head. “Fine.” Joseph looked around for a moment then picked his glasses up off the side table. “Hungry? I can make something. Pancakes?” Joseph raised an eyebrow and Sebastian stood up, laughing slightly. “I can make more than just left overs and noodles you know.” Joseph watched Sebastian walk to the door, and he turned slightly towards Joseph and sighed. “Join me when you’re ready.”


	2. Paper

Work, Sebastian was getting himself dressed for work, and Joseph was sitting on the couch quietly, watching him walking back and forth from room to room. Checking the windows were locked, blocking off the back door, and then very hastily providing Joseph with a gun. Joseph had set the gun on the far end of the coffee table, refusing to touch it now, which only got him a confused look from Sebastian.

“Okay, the doors and windows are locked, you have a gun and you know KCPD’s number right?” Joseph nodded and forced a smile, Sebastian was going through all this trouble to make sure Joseph was safe. “I’ll be back early tonight okay? If anything happens you can... Tell me...” Joseph simply nodded, leaning back on the couch and playing with his hands, he missed his gloves. “I might pick up some dinner on the way back, I’ll call you if I do though.” Sebastian left the house, making sure Joseph could easily hear him locking the door behind him before he left.

Joseph listened carefully to the sounds of Sebastian’s car pulling out of the driveway. He shot out of his seat, moving the blinds from the window and watching Sebastian’s car disappear around the street corner. He was alone again, in a house that wasn’t his but felt just like _home_ to him.

Joseph turned; about to sit back on the couch but instead he changed his mind and began to look around Sebastian’s house, looking for any signs of his heavy drinking that he hadn’t been able to notice before. Considering Joseph had practically clung to Sebastian when he was home yesterday, he didn’t have much time to take in the details on Sebastian’s home.

It was filthy, as usual so there was no surprise there. And if Joseph wasn’t worried about finding anything too _personal_ he’d clean it right then and there. Joseph frowned, and walked over to a fairly empty bookshelf Sebastian had. He picked a book up and looked at it, a very old poorly handled dictionary. Joseph set it back down and looked at the shelf, dusty but it had been for a long time. Joseph ran her fingers across it and stopped at a burn on the wood. _Lily._ Joseph stopped touching the wood and shook his head, turning around and rushing back to the couch. He laid down on it and covered his head with a pillow, taking a few deep breaths and calming himself down from a sudden uncomfortable feeling.

`````````````

_“Breaking things again Joseph?” Joseph didn’t look at the man, he faced the wall instead and kept his back to the guy, but hearing him made him tense. “I heard you lashed out at Agent Hanson again, you need to stop doing that.”_

_“She deserves it.” Joseph muttered, leaning back and turning his head to see another agent walking in and shutting the door to his cell behind him. One window was the only thing letting light into the room, a lonely half-burned up candle in the corner was the one thing Joseph could use for light when it was dark outside._

_“Because she left your old partner huh?” The man walked over to Joseph and kicked him in the jaw, making him whine and glare at the agent. The agent squatted down beside him and tugged his hair, pulling his face close. “Hurting her won’t change the past Joseph.”_

_“This isn’t about Sebastian. I’ll-“_

_“She’s the only one you’re hurting Joseph.” The agent pushed Joseph to the ground, holding him at the chest and pinning him to the ground. Joseph squirmed and lashed out, trying to hit the man off of him. “Oh nom you deserve a punishment for hurting her.”_

_“Let me go! HE-“ Joseph was going to scream for help but he bit the word back and instead kicked his leg at him._

_“Nobody’s going to help you Oda.” The man put one hand on Joseph’s neck and ran the other down his chest. Joseph’s breath hitched and he shook his head._

_“No, no don’t. You can’t-!” Joseph shouted, trying to get anyone to check what’s going on._

_“I can do whatever I want to you, whenever I want.” The man put his hand on Joseph’s mouth, covering it and using his other hand to unbuckle his pants. Joseph’s eyes widened and he bit the mans hand, making him pull it away from his mouth._

_“Let me go! Stop!”_

_“You belong to Mobius now.” Joseph shook his head, he didn’t think this was happening, he couldn’t believe it. This was a nightmare, a dream, he’d wake up and he’d be at home safe or sitting at his desk._

_“Let me go...”_

_````````````_

 “Joseph, hey.” Sebastian put his hand on Joseph as he trembled and shook in his sleep, whimpering. Joseph jolted awake, grabbing Sebastian’s hand and staring at him with wide eyes.  “Whoa. Joseph’s its me.” Sebastian gently squeezed Joseph’s hand and Joseph relaxed. “Were you asleep all day? I guess it’s easy to sleep considering nobody’s here and there’s no storm today...” Sebastian smiled. “I just got home, it was a slow day at work. But I did pick up some Chinese before coming home.” Sebastian ushered to the table and Joseph now noticed the smell of the fresh food. He let go of Sebastian’s hand and peeked in the bag, pulling out a small box. “You still like egg rolls right? And I got you some white rice.”

Joseph opened the small box and smiled, leaning back and looking down at its contents. “I also got some sauces for you, hell if I remember what you like. I don’t even remember which ones I like sometimes.” Sebastian let out a nervous laugh and then sat next to Joseph, putting his feet up on the edge of the table to balance his chopsticks on for a moment while he screwed around to open a packet of sauce. Joseph watched him for a moment, and then carefully reached over, taking the packet between two of his fingers and opening it with ease. “Thanks.”

Joseph ate slowly, listening to Sebastian talk about his day at work, talking about how the chief almost killed him for his stunt when Joseph showed up, and how everyone was asking about Joseph. “So... Really it’s nice having you back Jo.” Joseph looked at him out of the corner of his eye and furrowed his brow. “But I couldn’t get into my work today... Everyone asking about you... I was so worried I’d get home and you’d be gone again. I wish I could bring you into work tomorrow so I don’t worry too much, but I don’t think you’re ready to go back... I took a few days off after.... But I wasn’t like you.” Joseph understood, he knew what Sebastian meant and Joseph knew he was doing all he could to not offend himself. “I’m not going to force you to go back to work, I wouldn’t even be surprised a bit if you decided to just quit. Everyone expects you to come back and be okay, but it’s a lot to handle. So, don’t rush yourself Joseph. Don’t think you have to push yourself to go back to work, or hell do anything out of your comfort zone in general. I’d rather you take time to recover...” Sebastian cleared his throat and ushered towards the TV. “Anyway, care to watch a movie?”

``````````````

Due to Sebastian’s better judgment and the fact Joseph seemed tense at the mention of any movie with violence in it or the paranormal, the channel surfing ended on the movie Despicable Me, with Sebastian falling asleep about halfway through, and Joseph wandering the house again to find more paper and a pen to draw some more. His hand moved across the paper with ease as he recalled his time with Mobius, his time hooked up to STEM...

_“Trying to escape? Better check again.” Hands wrapped around his neck, thumbs digging into his trachea and he struggled to breath. Joseph opened his mouth, gasping for air. “We’re going to keep you here forever. Death is your only escape. Would you do it?”_

_“I think he’s had enough.” A voice, a female voice. One he knew but hadn’t heard in so long, he could see her hand reach and touch one on his neck, making them release his neck. Joseph coughed and backed up into a wall, shaking as he looked up to the duo._

_“Agent Hanson, I understand your history with this man but you can’t protect him.”_

_“We still need him, don’t kill him but don’t let him escape sir.” Joseph blinked back tears and could see **her**. She stepped close, putting her hand on his chin and tilting it upwards. “He needs to be in good shape for the next mission. Don’t remove him yet.” Joseph grit his teeth and then moved his head back, then grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, breaking it being the only thing he wanted her to do. She lifted her leg quickly, having her knee make contact with Joseph’s gut. He let her hand go and felt forwards, coughing up a mix of vomit and blood onto the floor._

_“I suppose it’s time we take our leave then.” The man put his hand on Agent Hansons hip, leading her out of the room and locking the big door behind them to keep Joseph trapped. Joseph lay on the ground, scooting away from the contents from his stomach as much as he could  without a surge of pain._

_“Seb... I can’t do it. I’m so sorry.” Joseph covered his eyes, imagining a time when he was happy, working beside Sebastian...._

“You drawing again?” Sebastian’s voice snapped Joseph from thought and he looked at his partner, then nodded and looked at the drawing.

“Could I see?” Joseph saw what he wrote in the corner, ‘Agent Hanson’, and he shook his head, crinkling the paper as he hid it from Sebastian. He couldn’t know, if he knew about it... Joseph glanced at his hand, seeing the wedding band still on it and he was filled with anger. _She_ was never wearing hers, not even for a moment to try and calm Joseph at all. She never had it on. “What’s the big deal Joseph, you let me see your last one. If you want me to know what happened with those assholes-“ Sebastian reached for the paper and Joseph kicked his leg up, hitting Sebastian’s arm away. He crinkled the paper into a ball and held it close, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. I get it.” Sebastian rubbed his arm and sighed, leaning back. “I just want to figure out what happened to you. Those could be the only way.”

Joseph looked down at the paper ball, he knew Sebastian would get angry and the last thing he needed was someone yelling at him. But Sebastian had a right to know, he had every right to know where she was. Sebastian had been in a pit for much too long, and it was killing Joseph to keep secrets from him. Joseph shakily opened the paper up, holding it out to Sebastian and he took it, looking it over. Joseph waited for the yelling to start; waited for Sebastian to say something but he simply stared at the paper in silence. Joseph backed up, pulling his legs close and resting his forehead on his knees. He listened, carefully, and heard Sebastian’s breathe hitch.

“Agent Hanson?” He asked, gripping the sofa. “Joseph... Was she...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ


	3. Showing You

Sebastian stood at the open window in his bedroom, leaning on the windowsill with a cigarette between his fingers. He tapped it off the edge and watched the ashes roll off the ledge and then fall to the ground in a small pile. Sebastian took a final drag and then put the cigarette out in the pile of three others next to him, staring at the growing pile of cigarette butts. “Fuck...” Sebastian put his elbows on the window ledge and put his head in his hands, taking in a deep breath and thinking.

_“Joseph... Was she...” Joseph had begun shaking as soon as the question crossed Sebastian’s lips, he shook and trembled in fear as though Sebastian would lash out at him, hit him. “Joseph was she there? Please, just tell me? Did you see her? Why did you write her name?” Joseph shook his head, letting out a small whimper and covering his ears, too many questions suddenly.  “No?” Joseph glanced up at him, nodding. “Joseph you have to talk, you have to tell me.”_

_The words came out from Joseph’s lips so quietly Sebastian was sure his own heartbeat would drown them out. “I’m sorry.” That was all Sebastian needed to hear, those words spoke so softly with almost no emotion._

_“So she was...” Sebastian closed his eyes, gripping the couch. “Fucker.” Sebastian said, standing and leaving Joseph in the room alone._

Now here he was, smoking out his window out of frustration and sadness. She had been there, she was there when he was connected to the machine and he hadn’t seen her, hell he didn’t even hear her. She wasn’t a body they took out, but she wasn’t someone he did see. “Where was she...?” Sebastian asked to no one in particular, he just wanted answers to questions he didn’t want to ask anymore.

“Seb.” Joseph’s voice echoed through the room, and Sebastian turned to face his partner. “Seb...” Joseph looked like he had been crying, like he had broken down a moment earlier when Sebastian wasn’t there.

“It’s okay Joseph.” Sebastian shut the window, walking over to Joseph and looking down at him. “Are you okay?”

“Seb...” Joseph reached up, stroking Sebastian’s cheek as he said the first word other than ‘I’m sorry’ in days.

“What’s wrong?” Sebastian held Joseph’s hand, giving it a light comforting squeeze. “You can tell me. What’s on your mind?”

“I’m sorry Seb... I’m sorry.” Joseph wrapped his arms around Sebastian, quickly pulling him into a hug and gripping the back of his shirt. “Sorry...”

“Sh, it’s alright Joseph. None of it is your fault.” Sebastian held Joseph, comforting him. “It’s not your fault.”

 _It is._ Joseph thought, gripping Sebastian’s shirt so tightly he could rip the fabric if he wanted to. He knew Sebastian needed to know, he had a right to know exactly what happened to his wife. “My fault.” Joseph squeaked out, grabbing Sebastian’s hand and taking him to the front door. He grabbed the car keys and thrust them in Sebastian’s direction, making the older man stare at him funny.

“Where do you want me to take you?” Sebastian asked, taking the keys from Joseph’s hand and leaving with him.

``````````````

Sebastian pulled up in front of the building, looking up at it and tensing up. “Joseph, why are we here?” Joseph had led him back to Beacon, a place he never wanted to go to even if his life depended on it. “I really don’t want to be here.” He looked to the passenger’s side, seeing Joseph already gone, he fought out of his seat belt and chased after Joseph, grabbing his arm to stop the man walking away. “Joseph hey, you’re starting to speak again. You’re making progress, we don’t have to be here if you don’t want to.” Joseph shook his head, pointing to Beacon and then walking towards it. Sebastian followed with heavy footsteps, feeling uncomfortable even looking at the place.

Joseph looked around, rushing off to the side of the building and making Sebastian chase after him again. “Joseph, stop running off. Jesus Christ, why are you coming back here? Didn’t we just escape this place?” Joseph stayed silent, touching the walls of the building gently, his fingers trembling along the stone walls. He looked at Sebastian, frowning and nodding. “You’re scaring me Joseph, what’s going to be here?”

“My fault.” Joseph whispered, walking with his hand dragging across the walls before he stopped at a door. “Seb...” Joseph turned to his partner, calling silent again as Sebastian inspected the door.

“Why is there so much blood on the door?” Sebastian ran his fingers across the dries blood, cringing. “Don’t… Don’t tell me…” Joseph frowned, pushing the door and making it creak open which startled Sebastian. “Don’t do that.” Sebastian looked inside, feeling Joseph push past him and head inside with ease. “Joseph be careful, it’s not safe.”

“Seb.” Joseph reached out for Sebastians hand, not smiling and looking everywhere but at him. “Safe.”

“I’m glad you’re talking.” Sebastian took Joseph’s hand and began walking with him. “But I’m concerned you sound like Leslie.” Joseph didn’t react, and walked over to another door which had bloody footprints leading out of it, and upon noticing that Sebastian noted they had been there the whole time, only becoming less apparent closer to the exit.

“My fault.” Joseph whispered, pulling the door open, Sebastian almost vomiting at the sight.

People were strewn about, various blood splatter everywhere and some people laying in their own blood. “Joseph.” Sebastian stared at the scene in horror, then grabbed Joseph’s shoulders and forced him to face him. “What happened here?” Joseph stalked off, motioning Sebastian to follow him. “Joseph.”

“Sh.” Joseph went into a separate room, one with a few screens in it and a keyboard. Joseph began typing into the keyboard, the screens buzzing to life.

Sebastian watched as the screens displayed various rooms, clicking back and forth until one of the cameras settled on Joseph and stayed there. Sebastian crossed his arms, watching the screen carefully since there was no sound, be didn’t notice when Joseph sat away from him on the floor and covered his head.

Joseph was sitting on the floor of a room, wearing a long white shirt and black pants, both which looked too big on him. He turned and someone in a suit walked over to him, helping Joseph to his feet. The two of them talked, nothing Sebastian could make out since Joseph’s lips were too far away from the screen to read. Sebastian glanced back at his partner for a moment, the looked back at the camera’s and saw Joseph moving. Joseph was walking down the halls now, walking past dozens of people in suits who barely acknowledged his existence, and then the camera’s glitched out. Sebastian  sucked in a deep breath, when the static on the TV went away, Joseph was all alone in the hallway, staring at the camera as there were bodies around him and he was covered in blood.

 _The bodies._ Sebastian glanced I the direction of the door. _Joseph did this?_ He looked back at the screen, watching the cameras flicker and twitch again before settling on Joseph again, seeing him straddling on someone’s hips and continuously raising his fist and slamming it down, each time his hand coming up with a splatter of blood. The camera cut out, switching angles for a moment for a clearer view of Joseph’s face. He was smiling, looking like he was enjoying himself as the blood splattered and stained his shirt and face.

Sebastian watched in horror as Joseph, his partner and the man he had been looking for, had a cynical grin on his face as he continued to hurt the person beneath him. Sebastian could swear Joseph was actually laughing in the video, but he was too stunned to tell if Joseph was or not. One thing was for sure, Joseph was enjoying what he was doing. On screen, Joseph finally rested his arms by his side, then stood up, making his way down the hallways now covered in blood and leaving a trail and footprints behind him. Something was off, something about the way he walked made Sebastian shudder. He didn’t walk  with his arms swinging ever so slightly by his sides like he always had, didn’t have that little hop in his step, he walked with his arms still by his sides and his feet one in front of the other. He was walking like-

 “You aren’t a detective for nothing, _Seb._ ” The voice emanating from Joseph’s mouth wasn’t his, it wasn’t small and shy either, it was harsh and sharp. Sebastian turned to Joseph, seeing his partner now standing and smiling at him.

“Ruvik.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dont hate me


	4. Chapter 4

“Hello again Sebastian.” Ruvik’s voice made Sebastian shudder, and hearing it coming from his partner was making him angry. “You’ve been doing well I see. Although you could us a shave. Maybe a haircut along with it.”

“What are you doing here? Get the fuck out of my partner!” Sebastian went over to Ruvik, grabbing his shoulders and glaring at him.

“It wasn’t my ideal plan on getting free of Mobius, but it worked.” Ruvik pushed Sebastian back, walking over to the TV’s and turning them off. “Joseph’s a smart man.”

“What do you mean? What did he do?” Sebastian looked out the door to all the bloodied dead bodies and cringed. “Please tell me-“

“That wasn’t him. I can assure you, as soon as the fun part was over he was fine again.”

“Then tell me-“

“If you would listen.” Ruvik glared at Sebastian, then sighed and shook his head. “We were both trapped here, trapped by Mobius and their project. I wanted out, Joseph wanted out. And we figured out a way.” Ruvik tapped his, Joseph’s, fingers against the metal base that held the TV screens. “They were fools to hook us up together, and Joseph knew he was going to be ruined. He was already losing himself to STEM’s effects, just as everyone else was. You remember when he tried to kill you, when he wrapped his finger around your neck? He was getting lost.” Sebastian shivered, he remembered that moment well. “But one day he wasn’t, he was normal again. And it was when I was hooked in again as well. For some reason they decided to put me back in, but I had almost no control over what happened. Being in there, my consciousness and Leslie’s were born again. Joseph called to me, he kept shouting my name and I found him. I had no powers, I was powerless entirely... Almost.”

“Ruvik, don’t fucking lie to me.”

“I’m not. And I wasn’t done talking so if you would _shut up._ ” Sebastian crossed his arms, glowering at Ruvik. “Thank you. Anyway, I wasn’t completely powerless. Joseph told me he didn’t want to be lost anymore, said that he would rather die than be there any longer. I understood, death seemed the only way to escape these monsters.”

“Monsters?” Sebastian questioned, making Ruvik glare at him again.

“Follow me.” Ruvik left the room with the TV’s, heading back out to where the bodies were. Sebastian followed him quietly, looking at the bodies with horror as he walked. “Anyway, Joseph told me something. He told me he wanted to see you, told me he couldn’t be there any longer before he would decide to kill himself. Inside STEM and out. So together we made a plan, his mental state was almost gone and he wouldn’t speak to anyone except for Kidman.”

“Kidman?”

“But she was getting in trouble.” Ruvik said, ignoring Sebastian. “Joseph deiced, right then and there inside of STEM to give himself up to me. We would share one body while he made a recovery. We would become a balanced person again, slowly but surely. Joseph would be in control most of the time, while I helped him along to recover. If not for me, he wouldn’t be able to walk. When he was outside of STEM he couldn’t handle himself, constant mental breakdowns and starving himself. Three weeks his mind deteriorated along with his body, and he wanted saved.”

“He trusted you.”

“He still trusts me. I calm him, I know how to deal with such occurrences.” Ruvik sighed, walking to a door and staring at it. “So I took control, and I killed everyone here, everyone except one person. He refused to let me touch them.” Ruvik stepped away from the door. “I am letting you know, you won’t like what’s beyond this door. You won’t want to see it, and it’ll be worse than anything I have put you through.” Ruvik watched Sebastian press his hands to the door, and spoke one last time. “But before you decide to do that, know when you talk to us next it won’t be me. Not for awhile.”

Sebastian kept his hands on the door for a moment, debating on  pushing them open or leaving them. “I can’t do it.” Sebastian looked back to his partner, looking at his eyes and seeing they were still sharp and glaring at him. “Its her isn’t it?” Ruvik nodded. “How bad is it?” Sebastian looked at the door, taking his hands off of it.

“He didn’t do it quickly, I can tell you that much. You can go and look, check the tapes-“

“I’m calling KCPD.” Sebastian turned away from the room, heading straight for the one with the TV's.

“Your partners going to get arrested.”

“I’m taking the evidence. How did you kill them? A weapon?”

“We used a sharp piece of glass, then threw it away after arriving at KCPD. Nobody would expect it. Do you need me to take the footage off? I doubt you know how, and you have a phone call to make don’t you?” Ruvik went to the TVs, flipping them back on and then be began typing.

`````````

_“The bodies found at Beacon yesterday afternoon included the bodies of Leslie Withers, Juli Kidman, Myra Castellanos, Timothy Haden….”_

Sebastian listened to the TV as it listed off names of people. He had a half empty bottle of whiskey in his hands, and Joseph was asleep on the couch next to him. Sebastian flipped the TV off as the names finished up, and he sat forwards, rubbing his eyes.

Yesterday he found out Ruvik was stored away in Joseph’s mind, Ruvik had used Joseph’s body to slaughter Mobius, and Joseph himself killed Myra. That was the end of the search, the end of her, the end of their marriage.

_“She’s been dead a week.”_

_“Were there any indications of a struggle?”_

_“No, no other injuries, just the stab wound on her gut.”_

The police told Sebastian that she had died slowly, bleeding out across the floor with a blood trail behind her, showing she may have tried to crawl to safety or away from whoever stabbed her.

Fortunately Ruvik had been able to destroy all footage of the slaughtering before the cops arrived, then disappeared back into Joseph’s subconscious once again. Sebastian hadn’t stayed longer after that, he couldn’t stand the bodies and the blood anymore. He didn’t even see his wife, refusing to see her even though he wanted to.

Joseph squirmed next to him, rubbing his head against Sebastians arm and snapping Sebastian out of thought. He looked over at Joseph, frowning as he slept easily as if nothing was wrong. “Must be exhausting dealing with Ruvik all day.” Sebastian leaned back on the couch, rubbing Joseph’s shoulder. He hadn’t forgiven his partner for killing Myra, he was still very upset about it, but it was nice trying to pretend Ruvik lied and he killed Myra, not Joseph. “You know it’s going to suck… Planning her funeral, and Kidman’s… Hell Connelly just had his last week.” Sebastian rubbed his eyes. “I don’t think I can do it, not alone. She didn’t have a family, and I can’t afford the funeral.”

Sebastian wasn’t concerned about the funeral preparations, not as much as he was showing. He was concerned about facing it alone, with Joseph’s mental health at a decline he felt alone. Although Ruvik could probably take on Josephs role at the funeral, being able to make it through without a possible breakdown, he was afraid of people finding out _Joseph_ killed his wife.

“I should have known though, people would have to die for you to have made your way out of there.” Sebastian trembled, he could feel himself choking up already at everything. “I was an idiot, I shouldn’t have just let things go. If I had been able to track you down then she wouldn’t have died.” Joseph squirmed, waking up and looking at Sebastian. “What did she do to you Joseph? What did Myra do to deserve to die?”

“Seb...” Joseph sat up, putting his hand on Sebastian’s arm and giving it a light squeeze. “Seb, Seb.”

“What Joseph?” Sebastian glared at his partner, seeing Joseph’s eyes filled with sorrow and worry. “Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry.” Joseph pulled back from Sebastian and stood up. “My fault.”

“Joseph.” Sebastian stood, taking a step to Joseph and stumbling a little with the alcohol in his system. “You’re fine, you didn’t know what you were doing.”

“Didn’t know... I did... I did... Know...” Joseph put his hands on the sides of his head and trembled. “My fault!” Joseph shouted as he fell to his knees, doubling over and then he started screaming. Sebastian flinched, getting down by Joseph’s side to get him to stop shouting.

“Joseph sh! It’s okay! Just calm down!” Sebastian put his hands on Joseph’s shoulders, forcing him to sit up. “Joseph you’re okay!” Sebastian pulled Joseph close into a hug, hearing Joseph get quieter before settling down and trembling instead. “Sh. You’re fine.” Sebastian rubbed Josephs back, holding him close. “You’ll be okay.”

“Seb...” Joseph whimpered, resting his head on Sebastians shoulder and hugging him closely. “So sorry.”

“Just keep quiet and relax. Do you want to go to bed?” Joseph nodded. “Alright, lets get you to bed then.”

`````````

Joseph laid in bed, tossing and turning as his mind raced but not from thoughts. His mind raced with Ruvik’s voice.

_You need to keep your mind cleared if you want my help. I cannot keep this up if you have all these things on your mind I cannot heal you. Don’t let your thoughts race like that anymore, if you can keep as little on your mind as possible that would be wonderful._

“I’m sorry.” Joseph whimpered and put a pillow over his head.

_As you should be. Your screaming is clouding my thoughts, and so are your own._

“Sleep.” Joseph rolled over and whined.

_Sleep would be a good way to keep your mind cleared._

Joseph closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind and sleep everything off.

 _Whats that on your mind?_ Ruviks voice taunted him. _Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised you’d still find a way to sneak a thought like that into your broken mind. Filthy humans._

“Seb.” Joseph sat up in bed, getting out of it quickly.

_Don’t you dare._

“Seb!” Joseph raised his voice a little, rushing out of his room to Sebastian’s. He didn’t knock, instead walking straight in and rushing to Sebastian’s side. Joseph shook a groggy Sebastian awake, muttering his name. “Seb, Seb...”

“Joseph... What are you doing up?” Sebastian rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. “It’s two in the morning Joseph. Did you have a nightmare or something?” Joseph stared at Sebastian, staying silent in the darkness. “What?”

“Seb.” Joseph wrapped his arms around Sebastians shoulders, moving close to him and crashing his lips into Sebastians. He gripped the back of Sebastian’s loose shirt, closing his eyes as he kissed Sebastian. Sebastian felt his body tense as Joseph kissed him, pressed against him and stayed close to him. Joseph pulled away after a moment, placing his hands on Sebastians shoulders. “Seb.”

“Is Ruvik making you do this?” Sebastian asked. “Because if he is you don’t-“

“No.” Joseph pressed his forehead to Sebastians and smiled. “Me. I am...”

“Joseph maybe you should get to bed, it’s early and I have to work tomorrow plus it’s... It’s late.” Joseph pouted, shaking his head.

“No. No... Seb...”

“What do you want Joseph?” Sebastian was confused and frustrated now, he didn’t know exactly what was going on.

“To forget.” Joseph pressed his lips to Sebastians again, grabbing his shoulders as he leaned into him easier. Sebastian shakily reached up to Joseph, closing his eyes as he cupped his hands on Josephs cheeks and deepened the kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (sigh) its time


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time....

Joseph whimpered into the kiss, crawling up onto the bed and straddling Sebastian’s hips as the kiss went on. Sebastian moved his hands behind Joseph’s head, tangling his fingers in Joseph’s hair as he tugged at it slightly. Joseph broke the kiss and tilted his head back with Sebastian’s hands, then looked at him and pursed his lips. He leaned in for another kiss but stopped when Sebastian put two fingers to his lips and gently pushed him back.

“Joseph why are you doing this? Are you serious that Ruvik isn’t forcing you to do this or anything. We can always-“

“No.” Joseph gripped Sebastian’s shirt. “No.” Joseph clenched a trembling fist on Sebastian’s chest, shaking his head. “Forget.... Its my fault...” Sebastian furrowed his brow, looking down at Joseph’s hand and sighing.

“Are you sure?” Joseph nodded a few times, leaning forwards and placing a few kisses across Sebastian’s neck. “I don’t want you to feel like you-“

“Seb.” Joseph put his hands on Sebastian’s cheek, then relaxed and stroked his cheek softly. “Please.” Sebastian shifted slightly, scanning his eyes over Joseph’s features for any indication that Ruvik _was_ in control, and once he was finally convinced it was Joseph he nodded. Joseph hugged Sebastian close, kissing his cheek a few times.

“Just let me know if you change your mind.” Sebastian said, pulling Joseph closer so he was sitting on his lap. “I don’t want you to be hurt.” Joseph nodded, tugging Sebastian shirt up and over his head, carefully dropping it on the floor by the bedside. Sebastian did the same with Joseph’s baggy shirt, only he wasn’t as careful as to where it landed and he simply tossed it on the bedroom floor and received a quick glare from Joseph. Sebastians eyes grazed over Joseph’s body, and he took in every feature, noting everything about him.

Joseph was thin, he was thin when he arrived and even days later he was still considerably smaller than himself. Scars and old bruises still littered his body, a few scrapes here and there, Sebastian didn’t want to know what exactly happened to Joseph but he _needed_ to know. Now though, wasn’t the time. It was still Joseph, he still wasn’t right even though he was getting better.

Sebastian snapped out of thought when he saw Josephs hand waving in front of his face. Looking up he saw Joseph had a concerned look on his face, which made Sebastian kiss him softly. “I’m fine, lost in thought.” Joseph nodded as Sebastian slid his hands down his sides. Sebastian could feel his ribs, god he could _feel his fucking ribs_ , he could feel the scars on his body and he could feel Joseph wincing when Sebastian brushed one. The way Joseph’s rough scars felt, and his boney stature in Sebastian’s hands made Sebastian angry, and he was suddenly overcome with a realization.

_Joseph wanted everyone there dead._

He wasn’t sure if Joseph even had talked to Myra, he didn’t know if Myra had been the one to do these scars or starve him, but it all made sense now. And Sebastian was angry, he hadn’t even looked for Joseph, three weeks Joseph had gone through _hell_ and Sebastian was mad at him that his wife, someone he hadn’t seen in _years,_ was dead. Joseph had killed her, or Ruvik had lied, but Sebastian felt guilty that he was angry with Joseph at all. Joseph had been through hell in STEM, then he was just transferred from that one to the next, and the only way to get back to his normal life was to kill everyone.

Now Sebastian found himself in a situation with Joseph he hadn’t considered, and everything told him this was _right._ And something else told him to protect Joseph, to make sure he was fine again, keep him close. Sebastian listened to that, he pulled Joseph close and kissed him tenderly, making sure Joseph was relaxed in his lap.

He trailed his fingers on Joseph’s hips, slipping his thumbs down the sides of Joseph’s pants and pulling them off quickly. Joseph shifted to help his pants (and underwear) be removed and discarded on the ground. Joseph found himself biting his lip now, so much so that he could feel it hurting from all the pressure of gnawing it. Sebastian held one of Joseph’s hands, pulling it close and placing a few kisses on Joseph’s fingers, which Joseph smiled to. Joseph changed positions, kneeling over Sebastian instead and letting go of his hand to quickly tug Sebastian’s pants off.

“Hey, Joseph there’s no rush.” Joseph glanced up at Sebastian and shrugged, laying down the rest of his clothes on the ground beside Sebastian’s shirt. Joseph returned to sitting on Sebastian’s lap, his legs up on Sebastian’s hips with Sebastians legs crossed underneath of him.

Sebastian pulled Joseph close, placing kisses across his chest and up his neck, making sure Joseph was pulled close to his body so they were pressed against each other. Joseph smiled, running his fingers across Sebastian’s jaw and stubble, leaning forwards and kissing his forehead softly. Sebastian pulled away for a moment, reaching over to his bedside table and pulling out a small one-use tube of lubricant. Joseph gave Sebastian a judging look, and Sebastian simply shrugged it off, untwisting the cap from the bottle and moving Joseph’s ass closer to his hips.

“You alright?” Sebastian asked, not out of a real concern but more to make sure Joseph was still okay with this.

“Fine.” Joseph murmured, watching Sebastian as he coated two of his fingers with the lubricant and slipped his hand on Joseph’s ass.

“Good.” Sebastian set the tube off to the side with his free hand, rubbing one of his fingers against Joseph’s entrance, which made the smaller man squirm. Joseph’s heart raced, and suddenly so did his mind and at the _worst time,_ with the worst thing to think of....

_Joseph laid with his stomach on his bed as a man put his hands all over Joseph, rubbing his chest and ass, which made Joseph uncomfortable to no extent. “You belong to Mobius, how does that make you feel?”_

_“I don’t...” Joseph responded, clenching his fists as the man spread his legs open._

_“You don’t feel huh?” The mans laugh echoed in the room and Joseph felt tears stinging his eyes._

_“No... All of you have done this to me... I don’t feel it anymore, it’s all the same with you guys.” Joseph was prepared to be hit by the man for his smart mouth, but it was true. He wasn’t prepared to suddenly feel a sharp blade against his thigh. Joseph flinched, moving his leg and feeling the cold metal pierce his skin._

_“Is that so? Well I’m not like those other guys, I’m not here to rape you and fuck you. I’m here to mark you, it’s all about placement. And if you’re not feeling anything, it’s best I fix that isn’t it?”_

_“Don’t.” Joseph said quickly, feeling the sharp metal digging into his thigh in a certain movement. Joseph didn’t dare move, with a blade in the mans hand if he were to get angry then Joseph could wind up dead. So he laid there, making noises in pain as the blade dug into him again and again, cutting up his skin and flesh._

_”You’re doing a great job, just stay still a moment longer and maybe I’ll give you a reward.” Joseph cringed, burying his face into the sheets as he felt the blade dig deeper suddenly, and tug at his skin._

_He screamed..._

And it took Joseph a moment to realize Sebastian was talking to him and shaking him lightly. Joseph blinked a few times and looked at him, relaxing into his partners gaze.

“Joseph, you blacked out there for a second. Everything okay?” Joseph nodded, Sebastian wasn’t convinced though. “Are you sure? What were you thinking about?” Joseph trembled, pulling his leg up a little bit and running his hand down to the scar on his thigh, Sebastian looked at it and sucked in a breath immediately. It was in the shape of a star, and it looked like the skin had been carved out. “Did they do that to you?” Joseph nodded and lowered his leg, hugging himself and looking at the ground. “I’m sorry.” Sebastian said as he pulled Joseph close.

“Fine...” Joseph smiled. “Safe...” Joseph wrapped his arms around Sebastian, feeling the mans hands on his ass he could tell Sebastian was nervous now. “Sebastian... Safe...” Joseph smiled as he heard Sebastian’s breath hitch for a second when he finally said his whole first name.

“Is this what you want?”

“Yes... Please...” Joseph closed his eyes, moving his hips a bit to help Sebastian push inside of him. Joseph flinched, gripping Sebastian’s shoulders at the feeling of his partner inside him, slowly to not hurt him.

“Joseph relax.” Sebastian kissed his neck, biting at the tender skin to help Joseph calm down. Joseph sighed, relaxing into his arms and his touches which helped Sebastian to push into him deeper.

Joseph didn’t want a hard fuck, he wanted Sebastian to make him feel loved again, Joseph wanted to feel like he was worth more to him than just a partner. Sebastian wanted Joseph to forget, he wanted Joseph to feel better and forget about everything.

STEM

Mobius

They wanted to leave it behind...

Sebastian grunted, pushing his hips again so he was buried inside of Joseph completely. He let Joseph adjust to him, and give a small whimper, before he began to move. Joseph whimpered and moaned into Sebastian’s shoulder as Sebastian fucked him slow and steady, just what he needed.

Sebastian felt Josephs hot breath on his neck, heard him moaning into his ear, felt Joseph digging his nails into his back. _God his back was going to sting after this, he knew going to work and leaning back in his chair all day would be a challenge._ Joseph moaned as Sebastian bucked his hips, pulling his head back from Sebastians neck and kissing him a bit rougher than intended. Sebastian kissed him back, uncrossing his legs carefully to not pull out of Joseph, then pushing him back so he lay on the bed. Joseph smiled, opening his arms out to Sebastian in a welcoming manor. Sebastian found the whole sight mesmerizing almost, with himself pushed deep inside of his partner while the younger man welcomed him into his arms. He knew this was more than just a onetime thing.

Joseph loved him, and even if he couldn’t bring himself to admit it out loud, he loved Joseph back.

Sebastian kissed Joseph passionately, thrusting into Joseph with a bit more desperation now, making Joseph whine and grip at the bed sheets. “Seb.” Joseph said his name in between moans and whimpers, making the whole thing even hotter to Sebastian.

“Holy hell.” Sebastian muttered, pushing Josephs legs up to fuck him a bit harder. “ _Joseph._ ” Sebastian grunted out his name, feeling Joseph putting his hands on his shoulders to keep himself from moving too much.

Their breathless pants filled the air, the occasional moans and whimpers from Joseph, the groans coming from Sebastian, their flushed bodies pressed close together in the dark of the room. It felt good, they both felt amazing, and it felt _right._

“Sebastian.” Joseph moaned out his name, clenching his ass around Sebastian who shivered at the feeling. Joseph covered his face, blushing as he came on his and Sebastian’s chests without warning. Sebastian only smiled, moving Joseph’s hand that covered his face and kissing him. Joseph pulled Sebastian close and closed his eyes, putting his legs around Sebastian’s hips and moaning into the kiss as Sebastian released inside of him. Joseph broke the kiss and lay back on the bed, his body hot, but he felt relaxed.

“God damn Joseph.” Sebastian pushed his hair back, pulling out of Joseph carefully. “I feel I shouldn’t have waited so long to do this.” Joseph shrugged, closing his eyes and trying to lay on his side but received a protest from Sebastian. “Don’t get my sheets messy, give me a second to get something to clean you up with.” Joseph nodded and watched Sebastian leave the room.

.....

When Sebastian returned minutes later (after cleaning himself off quickly) with a warm washcloth for Joseph he found the man fast asleep in his bed, still laying on his back so he didn’t dirty the covers.

```````````

Joseph blinked awake, he could feel strong arms holding him gently and blankets pulled over his body. Joseph squirmed out of the arms, hearing Sebastian mutter something and then wake up himself. “What time is it?” Sebastian stretched and looked over at his clock. “Fuck!” Sebastian shot up, startling Joseph. “Shit, the chiefs gonna have my fucking _head._ ” Joseph glanced at the clock and frowned, Sebastian had a half hour to get dressed and get to work. “No time to shower, might have to skip breakfast.” Joseph silently got up as he watched Sebastian running around the room like an idiot to get dressed.

Joseph slipped on his pants, rushing out of the room and down to the kitchen. He worked quickly, putting pieces of toast in the toaster and pulling out some peanut butter and jelly. It wasn’t much, but it was _much_ better than Sebastian skipping breakfast.

Joseph could hear Sebastian rushing down the steps by the time he finished making the sandwich for Sebastian, and had to rush to him to give it to him. Sebastian took it with a smile. “Thanks, I’ll be back later. Call me if something comes up.” Sebastian turned to leave, but Joseph grabbed him quickly and kissed him, pulling away with a smile. Sebastian stared at him for a moment then chuckled and ruffled Joseph’s hair. “Yeah, call if you need anything.” Sebastian left in a hurry, and Joseph watched the car pull out of the driveway and Sebastian rush off. Joseph slumped his shoulders, wandering around the house like he normally would when Sebastian left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whats going to happen next ???  
> Will Joseph start talking?  
> Will Sebastian come to grips with the fact Joseph did kill Myra?  
> Will Ruvik show up more??  
> I don't know but lets find out


	6. Chapter 6

Sebastian watched Joseph’s chest rising and falling as the younger man slept beside him. It had been a little under a month since he and Joseph had kissed, among other things, and now they were getting closer to each other again. Joseph was getting better, a lot better, full sentences were something he could make now, although he still had a few choice words that he would mutter to himself. There were no more drawings from Joseph; which Sebastian found slightly disappointing since Josephs drawings were telling him more about Mobius than Joseph could in words. Other than that, everything was going smoothly for both men.

Sebastian reached over to Joseph, tracing a finger across Joseph’s chest on a scar. He could see Joseph flinch at the touch in his sleep, then relax when Sebastian removed his hand. Joseph still hated being touched, he hated if Sebastian would come up and touch his arm or shoulder, if Sebastian would reach over to pull him close Joseph would shy away. Sometimes if Sebastian even tried to hug Joseph, the man would have to sit down and relax, and that wasn’t good. Touching was something Joseph used to love before STEM, he would love the shoulder bumps Sebastian would do for him, the pats on the back, the ruffling of his hair, Joseph would love it. Now he was afraid, and Sebastian was bothered.

Sebastian sighed, sitting up and brushing his hair back with his fingers. “Sebastian.” Sebastian tensed up, hearing that stupid ‘Ruvik-Joseph’ voice coming from his partner.

“What?” Sebastian turned and looked to his partner, noting the change in the way he was sitting up now and his facial expression. “Ruvik, what do you want?”

“You’re bothered by something.”

“I’m bothered by a lot of things, you included.” Ruvik glared at him, then brushed it off. “What do you want?”

“I want you to take your partner, and I, to your work.” Sebastian was taken aback by the statement for a moment, then he turned to face the man and shook his head. “Not my idea, I’ve been chatting with Joseph and he wants to go back.”

“Too dangerous, I’m working on a case right now and it’s not the best for someone who’s still this... Unstable.”

“ _Joseph_ wants to go back. I’ve tried to tell him it’s not safe, but I think it would do him well. Even if he’s just filing paperwork, he needs to get back to a normal routine.”

“He has a routine, stay here, stay safe, get better.” Sebastian shook his head. “No way in hell am I taking him back there yet.”

“His ’routine’ is to sit and wait for you to come home, and that’s it. He will watch TV and make himself stuff to eat, but overall we are both growing very bored.” Sebastian rubbed his eyes and shook his head. “What would be so bad about it?”

“I’ve been assigned another partner.” Sebastian finally said. “He’s not Joseph, but he gets his job done. I didn’t suggest it, the chief told me I needed a partner and gave me one. I can’t take Joseph back in.”

“You used to have two partners before.” Ruvik smirked, leaning forwards to Sebastian. “Juli may have been with Mobius and may have been a trainee, but she was your partner none the less. Tell the chief you’re bringing Joseph in, and that’s that.”

“Ruvik-“

“I’m going back to bed.” Ruvik lay down, closing his eyes. “Another thing, stop tracing our scars while we sleep. _Especially_ the star.” Sebastian grit his teeth, watching as Joseph’s body and facial expression relaxed again while Ruvik disappeared yet again.

“Son of a bitch.”

``````````

“Work?” Joseph perked up when Sebastian mentioned taking him back. “Take me back? I can work?” Sebastian noticed Joseph’s excitement grow at the mention. Sebastian nodded, finishing up his breakfast and pushing his plate away.

“Yes, your pal Ruvik told me you want to go back. I’ll take you, but there’s something you have to know.” Joseph rubbed his thumb, nodding at Sebastian. “The chief gave me a new partner. Now, it’s not going to be a big deal since I’ve convinced him to keep you working there and have you on leave for ‘medical reasons’. You’ll be welcomes back, but it won’t be you and me anymore because of his stupid ‘you need a partner’ thing.”

“Name?” Joseph asked. “What’s... His name?” Joseph looked at Sebastian, noticing the mans hard gaze.

“Jack.” Sebastian crossed his arms. “His name’s Jack Thompson. I did a full background check on him before he became my partner. He’s young, 28 years old, but he’s good at his job. You’ll get along with him I hope?” Joseph nodded, looking down at his hands.

“Need my uniform.”

“I might have something here for you. Go check, I’ll go make a call to the chief to let him know you’ll be coming back.” Joseph grinned, hugging Sebastian and kissing his cheek before he ran off. “Hey wait!” Joseph stopped and turned to him. “Don’t do that at work, we could get in trouble.” Joseph relaxed and nodded, running upstairs.

``````````

“Oda! It’s great to have you back!” The Chief walked over to Joseph and Sebastian, looking at Joseph. “How are you doing?”

“Better.” Joseph said, clearing his throat and taking a step back behind Sebastian. “I’m better.”

“Good, we need your brain with this latest case Sebastian’s on. Jack’s smart, but he’s not you.”

“Speaking of which, is he here yet?” The Chief nodded, waving towards Sebastian’s office, which made Sebastian grit his teeth. “I told you don’t let anyone in there until I’m here.” Sebastian stormed off to his office, Joseph hot on his heels, and he quickly opened the door. Jack was in there as the chief had said, and he jumped when the door opened. “Jack.”

“I know, I can’t be in here until you come in but The Chief said it was okay and-“ He stopped, looking past Sebastian to Joseph. “Who’s that?”

“This is Detective Oda. I’ve told you about him.” Jack stood up and made his way to Joseph, smiling at him.

“This is him?” Sebastian nodded, and Joseph looked at Jack, inspecting him. Jack had blond hair and brown eyes, he wore a blue button up shirt and black pants with black shoes to match. His hair was tucked behind his ear on one side of his head while his bangs were down on the other side. Joseph relaxed and nodded to him.

“Nice to meet you.” Jack beamed, holding his hand out for Joseph to shake it. Sebastian noticed Joseph’s slight discomfort, and went to say something but Joseph took the mans hand shakily and shook it.

“Nice to meet you too. Sebastian’s mentioned you before, I was hoping one day we’d meet.” Joseph nodded, quickly pulling his hand away from him and looking back to Sebastian. Jack furrowed his brow then shrugged, walking over to Sebastian’s desk. “Anyway, we have a new lead on the case... Well, no. Lead isn’t the right word. I mean-“

“There’s been another murder?” Jack nodded, taking a paper off Sebastian’s desk and handing it to him. Sebastian glanced the paper over, then sighed and shook his head. “Let’s get going then.”

“Am I coming?” Joseph asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Do you feel up to it?” Joseph nodded. “Then you’re coming.” Sebastian gently pat Joseph’s back, leaving the room quickly with him and Jack behind him.

“I’ll drive us there.” Jack said, pulling a pair of keys from his pocket. “Unless you want to drive?”

“No, you can drive.” Sebastian said as the three of them left the building, heading to a police car. Joseph followed closely behind Sebastian, keeping his head down as they walked. “Joseph.” Sebastian put his arm in front of Joseph, making the younger man stop and look up at him. “Listen, I’ve been to one of this guys scenes already and they’ve been... STEM like. The hospital part at least, not the rest of it. If things get to be too much, let me know.”

“Ruvik can-“

“No. I don’t want him to become something like a backup control for you. If you start feeling off, let me know and you can go sit in the car or something. When I saw his first scene, I had to take a breather.” Joseph shook his head. “No Joseph I’m serious.”

“Ruvik can help.... He can...” Joseph moved past Sebastian, rushing to the cop car and getting in the backseat. Sebastian sighed, getting into the passengers seat and nodding to Jack who turned on the engine and began driving to the crime scene.

“So when did the murder happen?” Sebastian pulled out a pack of cigarettes, rolling his window down and lighting a cigarette.

“I think the report said it happened around five this morning. Or six, it wasn’t that long ago.” Sebastian nodded, taking a puff of his cigarette and sighing. “Please don’t smoke at the scene.”

“Do I ever smoke at crime scenes?” Sebastian asked, and Joseph piped up.

“Yes... A few times...” Joseph leaned back in his seat, hugging himself and muttering something. Sebastian looked into the rearview mirror at him and shook his head.

“Not as of late though.” He said sternly. Jack cringed at the sudden tension in the air, speaking up to try and relax them.

“How long were you two partners?”

“Eight years.” Joseph answered, looking up from his lap to the new detective.

“Really? That’s a damn long time for two people to be together.” Jack smiled, glancing over at Sebastian. “You said he was your only partner though right? But you’ve been working at KCPD for longer... How did you...?” Joseph looked up at Sebastian with wide eyes, the new guy had no idea.

“I didn’t need one, then a hard case came along... Joseph came in. End of it.” Sebastian took another hit off his cigarette, a long one this time, before discarding it out the window. “How close are we?”

“Another five minutes.” Jack responded, making a quick turn down a street. Joseph fidgeted in his seat, he knew Sebastian hated talking about Myra and the accident but this didn’t seem right.

 _He hasn’t forgotten what you did._ Ruviks voice echoed in Joseph’s head. _He won’t forget, but he wants to hide it._

“Yeah.” Joseph whispered, looking up to see them pulling up to a crime scene. The three detectives stepped out, Joseph rushing over to Sebastian’s side when he got out. There were a few cops standing around, a few just talking while others checked out the crime scene.

“Great way to start the day.” Sebastian walked up to the crime scene tape, flashing his badge to a cop then making stepping over the tape to get in. Joseph followed suit, with Jack right behind him. Joseph’s breath hitched at the smell of blood, it was almost overpowering. Sebastian looked back at Joseph to make sure he was okay, and didn’t look away until Joseph smiled at him.

Jack rushed ahead, going straight to the source of the blood smell. “Detectives!” Jack called them over, looking back at them. “You’re going to want to look at this!” Sebastian went over, while Joseph stood in place.

_Aren’t you going over?_

“I can’t...” Joseph felt his heart racing, the smell of blood was getting to him already.

_Sure you can._

“You can.” Joseph shook his head. “Sebastian says no...”

 _I understand._ Within a second Joseph was gone, replaced quickly with Ruvik who made his way to the crime scene beside Sebastian. Sebastian looked at him, a little concerned.

“You alright?” Ruvik nodded, trying to play out the part of Joseph the best to his ability. “Good.” Ruvik looked at the bodies on the ground, not even flinching at the sight. It was a lot of blood, not a lot of skill put into the killing. Ruvik rolled his eyes, walking over as close to the body as he could, looking down at it. “Joseph?”

“Please be quiet for a moment.” Ruvik said, and he could hear Sebastian swear to himself. Ruvik rolled his eyes, then took a look at the blood stains, noticing something strange. “They weren’t killed over here.”

“How can you be so sure?” Jack asked, walking up behind ‘Joseph’.

“The blood trail, it’s heaviest over here where they were _placed._ Look at the blood on the ground.” Ruvik pointed to the blood, following the trail with his finger. “The blood trail wouldn’t make sense if they were carried somewhere and then brought back here, it’s likely if you follow it there’ll be another blood spot.” Jack didn’t question it, and followed the blood as he had been told. Sebastian ran up and grabbed Ruvik at the shoulder, spinning him around.

“What the _fuck._ ” He said through clenched teeth, keeping his voice down so nobody would hear. “Get back to whatever part you belong to of his head, this isn’t the time to fool around.”

“He told me to. Wanted to see the scene, but be able to close himself off if needed. I gladly took over.”

“Yeah well you’ve been taking over too often for my comfort.” Ruvik waved him off, following Jack to the blood trail.

“You were right.” Jack looked to him, his eyes wide. “But there’s something else.” Ruvik pushed past him, looking into the room and staring at the walls.

“No.” Ruvik stepped back, clenching his fists.

“What?” Sebastian rushed over, looking up at the walls and feeling his gut drop. “Fuck.”

Written in blood across the wall was the sentence;

_Give Oda Back To Us._


End file.
